Back at Last - Let's catch up from No Name Harbor to Lake Sylvia

I deeply apologize for the long lapse in posts.  We have had a lack of Internet service, poor Internet service, a week when I flew home etc.  I know, excuses, excuses.  We spent one night in No-Name Harbor. Our next destination and our jumping off point for the Bahamas would be Sylvia Lake.  The weather was still ugly, overcast sky's and very windy. It rained off and on all morning.  The sight of the Miami skyline was another one of those "wows" for us even in the bad weather. We are really traveling down the ICW through Miami Florida on our own boat!  Have you heard the phrase, "size is relative"?  Well when your 42 foot boat is first in line patiently waiting for a bridge to open and two mega yachts approach and pass you just as the bridge opens I guess they figure size does matter!  We found the yachts and boats in general to be a little rude today. They pull out in front of you, pass you at full throttle, and take as much space out of the middle as they choose. I found myself playing a couple games of chicken down the ICW.  The bridges are very close together and only open on the hour and half hour.  We were able to pass under all but two of them.  As we approached one of the last bridges before our destination we knew we had about a foot clearance.  Only inches away from the bridge a bicyclist on the bridge starts yelling NO! NO! stop don't do it!  From his viewpoint he was sure we were going to hit the bridge.  I took a deep breath,( maybe to make us shorter), and under we went. On the other side I waved at the bridge tender and looked for the bicyclist. But he was nowhere to be seen.  Once through the downtown areas of Fort Lauderdale the industrial area was in view. Port Everglades was an extremely busy port and the water was choppy from all of the activity of the cruise ships and freighters.  Just before we reached the point where the ships exit to the Atlantic all traffic was stopped by the water police to allow a large freighter to leave its dock and head out to sea.  Some of us obeyed, others had to be yelled at by the police.  There was a large Carnival Cruise ship docked and we had to pass very close to it.  I stood on the aft deck and waved to the passengers and took some photos but not a sole waved back.  The next day I read in the paper that the ship had to return to port because 300+ passengers and crew became ill on the cruise.  Could be why they didn't smile and wave.  We arrived at Lake Sylvia about 2pm.  It is more like a bay than a lake.  I was a little worried that it would be full of boats waiting to cross but to my surprise there were only about five other boats anchored.  We found a spot with a view of a huge mansion from our aft deck and settled in.

                                                        A view of our apporach to Miami

               

                                                              Miami

                                                          On the ICW through Miami

                 A canal that we went down in Lauderdale to fuel up. Very quaint area